“Like some people just don’t know, and they don’t know that they don’t know” A qualitative study on Line Managers situation in a new organisation

Abstract: Being a Line Manager is a hard and complex job. The role consists of providing support towards employees and communicating and presenting visions and goals between upper management and employees within the group. This requires structure and meaning towards the Line Managers. The purpose of the study is to examine how clear and unclear role definitions and expectations and leadership in a cultural context contribute to creating structure and meaning towards Line Managers in a young organisation. The study has a social constructionist approach. The empirical material is sampled through qualitative interviews with Line Managers at an organisation. The empirical material is analysed in relation to the theoretical framework, which is Role theory and culturally constructed Leadership theory. The study shows that structure and meaning is created by support from upper management and an interdependent relationship between Line Managers and their team, which is created through goals and team work.